Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears

Bam! The quarter has begun and we have hit the ground running- er, singing. It's only the second week but it feels like we've been back longer.
The opera scene I'm cast in is from Hoiby's Summer and Smoke adapted from the play by Tennessee Williams. I am Mrs. Bassett. It is a lot of fun though still in the rough stages. We're supposed to be off book (memorized) by next Thursday.
It was announced last Spring that the UCSB Chamber Choir will be touring France this summer! 18 days! Starting in Paris and singing in the choral school that Professor Gervais established in the Notre Dame cathedral! Then we're working in Tours for three days in a conducting academy. We are the choir in residence and student conductors will practice on us. This will be a nice reward for making it through the year.

We had opera auditions last week. The opera production for this year will be Aaron Copland's opera, The Tender Land. I was nervous because there aren't a lot of women's roles. There is the mother, a contralto. So I picked another contralto aria to audition with from another American composer. I was cast in and will be singing the role of Ma Moss. Having a fuller low range I tend to play the mother roles. (see above and Riders to the Sea 2008.) I don't mind playing the older women. They usually have a deeper outlook and their music is more soulful. Sorry sopranos.
This morning (October 7) I had my recital permission audition. I sang a couple songs of their choosing from my entire program and they decide whether I can give my recital. My teacher was on the panel and told me afterwards that that was the best she had heard me sing. And that the head of the department agreed. So, now I can give my recital. Yes!
With my practice time and rehearsals I'm singing, on average, 6 hours a day. It's a little nuts but the more prepared I can be and feel the better. It's a lot easier to think about technique if I'm not trying to remember words at the same time.